Festive NOTD - Candy Cane Nails!

Hello lovely readers & Merry Xmas Eve! Hope you're all set & excited for the holiday, lord knows I am. The journey home from work was absolute bliss, ooooh if the roads could but always be like this! ;) Now I can look forward to two days of festive goodness with lots of eating & passing out before waking up & doing the same all over again *fist pump*

Seeing as we're just on the brink of Xmas I thought I'd quickly sneak in one last festive mani! You'll know if you've been following that I've knocked out a few Xmas themed mani's this year including Snow Queen Inspired Nails, Santa Claus Nails, Christmas Tree Nails,  Xmas Jumper Nails as well as some ReindeerNails too! Well to me no Xmas can be complete without digging out that timeless favorite of mine China Glaze Ruby Pumps at least once! So last but not least for this years final festive mani I've done some Candy Cane Nails!

Festive NOTD - Reindeer Nails!

Hello there lovely readers!

Feeling a wee bit melancholy to have reached the end of my nice long weekend break! Those who are off now for the whole of Xmas, I am very jealous, that is all & those who are venturing back to the office tomorrow...I feel your pain, but hey at least the week will be a short un :)

Time is on my side for once & there's still some left till Xmas so lets squeeze in another few festive mani's shall we? Today I have probably my most favourite festive mani so far to share with you lovelies....Reindeer Nails!

Customised Dermalogica Facial Experience at Shumaila's Beauty Salon...

Hey there lovely readers

Its no secret that I love me a good pamper sesh, who doesn't eh? In the last year or so I've also been exploring the wonders of a good facial & can honestly say I am hooked! Not only are facials hugely beneficial to your skin but the whole experience of having one is just so incredibly relaxing that I've often opted on going for a facial instead of a massage.

Last month I was contacted by Shifa of Shumaila's Beauty Salon in East London who oh so kindly asked if I would like to come down for a Customised Dermalogica Facial...well how could I say no! So off I trotted down to London town to the main salon which is located in Gants Hill. Now here's the funny thing...Shifa & I had exchanged lots of lovely emails prior to my visit, however I had no idea until the lady herself walked through the salon doors that it was none other than the lovely Shifa of GetGawjus who's blog I've been following since before I even started blogging & whom I met over 2 years ago at the NBBE! Lol! Such a small world! So it was absolutely delightful to see her again & have a wee catchy up too!

Festive NOTD - Elegant Touch Christmas Jumper Nails

Hello there lovely readers!

Now we are all really getting in the festive spirit what with Xmas being just around the corner next week :D However as I'm sure is the case with many of us, the festive season also brings with it all manner of chaos with last minute shopping, organizing, not to mention the inevitable craziness that seems to happen with work life every Xmas! All these things combined can leave one without time to pretty up the nails to look all festive however Elegant Touch have come to the rescue with their Press-On Nails in a range of jolly designs to truly get your nails into the Christmas spirit!

Festive NOTD - Oh Christmas Tree...

Hello there my lovely readers!

One is in pretty high spirits as tomorrow shall be my Friday & then hello lovely long weekend! *Happy dance* And of course its Xmas next week so I'd say that's time for another festive mani! My work colleague actually made a request for some Xmas trees, so ask & you shall receive...some Xmas tree nails!

I was so happy to finally have a chance to dig out one of my Models Own Velvet Goths, the beautiful Absinthe which I've been dying to try & boy it didn't disappoint!

Festive NOTD - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town...

Hello there lovely readers!

Last night, you'll know if you follow me on Twitter (aysh_xox) was pretty much the highlight of my month as it was finally THE night of the second Hobbit film being released! My fellow LOTR obsessed mates & I headed to the IMAX to watch it & my lord...INCREDIBLE! Even if you aren't a huge Middle Earth fan I do urge you to go watch if only to witness the beauty of Orlando Bloom as Legolas.......Sorry...drifted off for a moment there. Already cannot wait for it to be released on DVD so I can watch the obligatory 600 times ;)

Anyhoos back to reality I have another festive mani to share with you lovelies! Today we have some sparkly Santa Claus nails, hope you like them!

Festive NOTD - Snow Queen Inspired Nails

Hello there lovely readers!

So December is upon us & things are beginning to look a lot like Xmas....though to be fair they did seem to look rather Crimbo-ish over a month a go ;) Ready to get all festive on here which means...Xmas themed manis! 

Time granted I hope to do some year & I thought I'd start things off with a Snow Queen Inspired Manicure which I've done for The Snow Queen Challenge, a fab idea thought up by the lovely ladies Kellie aka BigFashionista & Sara of TheAgoraphobicFashionista & is open to all bloggers to take part in to create a Snow Queen Inspired look be it nails, makeup or outfit! Naturally I was eager to think up some nails suitable for the theme so here we go!

NOTD - Black Hearts & Golden Sands...

Hello there my lovely readers!

Today's post involves some sparkle courtesy of 2True Cosmetics as we are venturing into THAT time of year where sparkle is required in abundance! I've been a fan of 2True polishes for a while as they have a lovely range of good quality shades at very reasonable prices. This latest range, Sequins is part of the 2True Pro range & features a beautiful collection of sparkly pretty glitters named after Supermodels of the 90's which is a concept I love!

In this quick mani I've used the shade *Tyra, the gold shade in the range, which also includes Christy (Silver), Eva (Blue), Elle (Red) & Naomi (Purple). 

NOTD - China Glaze Marry A Millionaire!

Well hello there lovely readers!

Ooooh its been a wee while non? Life's being a tad hectic of late hence the absence on here but its all been good, much better even! If you follow me on Twitter you'll know I had some much needed good news last week in that I've been offered a new job :) I'm absolutely over the moon & super excited about my new role which will still be pharmacy based, which is the field I work in by day, but more behind the scenes. Hopefully I'll still be able to find time for this little space of mine on the inter-web, I can't imagine life without blogging now, it brings me so much joy so will deffo try me bestest! :D

On to today’s posts darlings, as this week has seen both Fireworks/Bonfire Night & Diwali celebrations, I thought I'd make my first post of the month a super sparkly glittery one! As its only like my favourite kind ;)

Halloween Nails - Pumpkins & Ghouls!

Hello lovely readers!

Hope you've all had a good weekend & that everyone in the UK is keeping safe & well in spite of this storm that's gracing us with its most unwelcome presence! I opened the curtains this morn to a surprisingly calm breeze & sunshine & thought that thankfully my town, aka the place where absolutely nothing happens...EVER , had escaped the brunt of the storm only to look across to the road opposite to find the way blocked by rather large tree...not quite escaped then! Wherever you are though stay safe.

I thought I'd squeeze in one last Halloween mani as I really love doing them! After pondering on what manner of scariness to put on thy nails this time I ended up going for some evil pumpkins & ghoulish ghosts! Mwaha! *cough*

Halloween Nails - Count Dracula!

Hello there lovely readers!

Today I've another Halloween manicure to share with you lovelies, I really do hope to knock out (knockout? Would that even be the correct term? Sounds rather rude...Hmm) a few more before the end of the month,they're just too much fun! Hopefully hectic work & life will allow me to do so! 

This time I've gone down the vampiric route with some Count Dracula Nails <insert suitably evil laugh here>

Halloween Nails - Creepy Cobwebs!

Hello there lovely readers!

Find myself channeling my inner Marlene Dietrich whilst still recovering from old friend the flu who has decided to linger around, flattered I am definitely not! Anyway some cheering up was required so I hot footed it the capital with some friends for a few random adventures this weekend including introducing the mateys to the yummy goodness that is Bubbleology Bubble Tea! If you haven't tried it loves...rectify asap! We then headed off to a comedy club to enjoy a bit of stand up & grub which definitely delivered on the laugh factor as the awesome Paul Choudhry just happened to be performing that night! I honestly didn't think I'd enjoy stand up comedy that much but all the comedians were brilliant & I even got a picture with Paul, weekend made! ;)

So we are coming up to that time of the year where all the ghouls & goblins like to come out to play & lets face it, humans of all ages can't help but get in to the spirit of things! I do love Halloween I confess & one way I love to join in is with some Halloween fun on the nails! I hope to get my nail on & create a few different Halloween manis this year starting things off today with some Creepy Cobweb Nails...

NOTD - OPI Pure Lacquer Nail Apps Review

Hello there lovely readers!

Now I'm sure that it'll come as no surprise when I tell you that when it comes to nails, polish is my one true love! Those little bottles of prettiness just make me happy, you know how Scrooge McDuck has a huge vault of his moolah that he likes to dive into & swim around in? I have a similar recurring dream except instead of coins its endless bottles of polish!

However there are other quick & easy ways of getting fab looking nails nowadays, one such being nail wraps. I find myself having accumulated quite a few different ones lately so decided to on occasion give the polish a miss & try a nail wrap instead. The ones I have to share with you today are the OPI Pure Lacquer Nail Apps which I found on sale in Fenwicks & could resist picking up.

NOTD - Cherry Blossoms on Chester Square...

Hello there lovely readers!

Thought I'd throw up a quick post (don't worry not literally of course, you can come closer) before heading off on my travels this Sunday where the blog will be getting some quiet time for a wee while & tomorrow will no doubt be filled with last minute crazed panic packing that is always inevitable with moi! o_O

NOTD - Super Mario Bros Mushroom Nails!

Hello there lovely readers!

Today thy nails have helped keep moi in a happy frame of mind for surely as they immediately transported me back to my childhood & one of my favourite parts of it that featured quite often...Super Mario Bros! 

NOTD - Emerald City

Hello there lovely readers! 

If you follow moi on Twitter you may know that I'll be off on a much needed little holiday at the end of this month with my fam, a Med Cruise to be exact which I'm super excited about! Lordy knows I am in dire need of a little break & I've always wanted to go on a cruise even though I'm not exactly what you may call an accomplished swimmer...I'll just be sure not to watch Titanic, Speed 2 or any other cruise disaster related movies before then...o_O

The Lash Files - Bourjois 1001 Cils Mascara Review

Hello there lovely readers!

Today I have a gem of a mascara to share with you pretties that has officially made it to number one favourite HG mascara status for moi, no mean feat let me tell you. Lately I've been mixing & matching, chopping & changing my mascaras, trying to maintain a bit of rotation so that they all get a bit o' loving, however despite that I've found myself reaching for this baby most often of late as dayaaam does it deliver! Mascara in question? Bourjois 1001 Cils!

NOTD - House Of Holland Press On Nails by Elegant Touch

Hello there lovely readers! 

Today sees this ol' blogger become another year older *wails*...my mission to discover NeverNeverLand continues...Keeping things nice & mellow this year with a few get together's here & there with friends which will be lovely. Tis also a good time to reflect on where life seems to be leading me at the mo & other than thinking that mayhap I should really get my shiz together & do all those grown up things i.e. marriage, babies etc. I can't help but feel pretty content with things right now. I'm hoping to start off with making a few changes career wise which is both exciting & terrifying so looking forward to seeing what the next year shall bring!

Things have been so crazed of late that I've not had a chance to do some birthday themed nails! No matter though as I've actually been wanting to share these fabulous new nail offerings from Elegant Touch with you which I was kindly sent recently & were pretty perfect as I was rushed for time yet wanted something funky on my nails & boy do these deliver!

NOTD - Foxy Nails with Step by Step Tutorial!

Hello there lovely readers!

Its been a while since I've done some nail art so for today here's some quirky & cute foxy nails with a little step by step tutorial on how you can create them too :)

NOTD - Two Tone Chevron Tips with No7 Limited Edition Duo Nail Colour

Hello there lovely readers!

I think my local Boots must know me quite well now with how easily I succumb to polish temptation as during a recent visit to pick up lunch, my eyes were naturally drawn to a basket right by the till filled with these new No7 Stay Perfect Duo Nail Polishes (RRP £6). Cheeky ploy Boots...but it obviously worked as I couldn't resist picking one up to take home for some mani fun!

NOTD - Peridot Nails for August!

Hello there lovely readers!

Tis the month of August already, the birthstone of which is the stunningly pretty Peridot stone. On Instagram (aysh_xox) a few nail bloggers I follow came up with a periodical nails idea where each month, mani's are done inspired by the months birthstone, which I thought such a great idea & couldn't resist taking part in also! Last month was the turn of Ruby for July & now we have Peridot for August!

Getting Lippy - Collection Colour Pro Lip Lacquer in Show Off!

Hello there lovely readers!

My lovely friend Jo aka Mademoiselle Lala sent me a delightful care package a while back, because she's just an absolute sweetheart really whom I adore to pieces! Amongst the lovely bits & bobs she kindly sent my way, she also included some of the new Collection Colour Pro Lip Lacquers which I've been rocking on the lips of late & come in 4 different shades. The two I have are It Girl which is a delightfully bright pink & this one I have to share with you today, Show Off, a vividly bright coral shade, enough to brighten up any lip.

NOTD - Models Own Southern Lights!

Hello there lovely readers!

I often find myself getting so caught up over new nail polish releases/collections like any normal polish-aholic that after the initial seizure of excitement followed by inevitable purchasing, I then proceed to start the process all over again for another new polish release thus forgetting all about the previous one! Shame on me. 

The result of this is I still have lots of special little polish pretties that require some loving attention! Putting that to rights with one such pretty that I have to share with you lovelies & is the gorgeous Models Own Southern Lights...

NOTD - Whimsical Nails...

Hey there lovely readers!

I was in the mood for some whimsical fairytale like nails the other day as you do, not surprising as I seem to live in a world of my own half the time so I've been told. So after having a prowl through my worryingly growing polish collection for some suitably whimsy like polishes, I couldn't decide on just one so picked 3 magical pretty's to create my mani...

For this I used Ulta3 Crytallina & Models Own's Jack Frost & Indian Ocean. I love layering different polishes as you can get some really interesting & different results depending on the shades you combine. I love the simple prettiness these three polishes created together, my mani definitely made me feel like a pixie!

I started off with two coats of Ulta3 Crytallina, a wonderful Ozzy brand that my darling Chelle introduced into my life, thank you sweety! I absolutely love the milky white shade which has the prettiest pale gold shimmer running through, so stunning! It is sheer though so 2-3 coats is needed.

On top of Crytallina I applied a coat of Models Own Jack Frost, a beautiful iridescent glitter that sparkles blue, green & pink in different lights. It reminds me a lot of the Maybelline Flash Cosmic.

Finally I topped it all of with a coat of one of my ol' Beetlejuice favorites, Models Own Indian Ocean. Aaaah I do have a lot of love for this little bottle of duo-chrome loveliness reminiscent of tropical waters. 

With its pretty iridescent shimmering colours of blue, pink & gold I think we can definitely class it as whimsical for sure ;)

Hope you liked the mani dolls! Do you like layering different polishes too? Thanks for reading!

Lotsa love to ya! 

NOTD - Golden Sherbet

Hello there lovely readers!

I forgot to mention on here but if you follow me on twitter you'll know that today saw this ol' blogger donning a teachers cap & teaching my first (& probably only!) nail art class. Eeep! Twas very nervous about it let me tell you, I mean I was truly flattered to even be asked in the first place, most of the time when it comes to nail art, I just have a play around & hope for the best! But after the initial nerves had passed we just got in to the fun of it all & had a lovely time! Its definitely something I'd love to do again for sure :D

A little memo that totally passed me by is that its actually International Nail Art Day today! Did you know this? Me neither! So of course I couldn't help throwing together a quick mani using one of my favourite forms of nail art...DOTS! And even though this is one of the more simpler mani's I've ever done I actually think its one of my favorites as I'm super happy with how it came out!

Review - Solait Mattifying Face Sun Fluid Factor 50

Hello there lovely readers! 
Hope you're all having a great weekend :D The sun is still gracing us with its delightful presence & one thing I always forget, too busy I be with enjoying all the rays, is that most important sun protection!

This is something I've rectified, better late than never right? I've always found it a tad problematic when it comes to finding a nice & affordable sun cream for the face. I tend to use just a bog standard supermarket brand sun cream for the body in factor 50 because I BURN...I learnt that the hard way when I forgot to take any with me when I visited Tenerife & came back looking like a shrivelled tomato, so bad my own parents didn't recognize me at the airport o_O The supermarket sun cream does the job fine however like most I do find it extremely thick & greasy, not something I would want to put on my face!

NOTD - From Paris With Love...

Hello there lovely readers!

A little alternative take on a French manicure today using a pink base & white nail art giving a distinctly Parisian feel to the nails & was inspired by a lovely instagram account I follow 'alinapinuccia', she has the prettiest nails!  I've only been to Paris the once & that was for Disneyland so I never actually got to see the place, however its definitely on my list of places I am dying to explore, one day soon hopefully!

NOTD - Corset Design Nails & Step By Step Tutorial!

Hello there my lovely readers!

Ever been to a cabaret show? I haven't yet I must confess that its something that I've been intrigued with & would love to see! The Lady Boys of Bangkok is one cabaret show that has hit the UK by storm recently & looks like a right hoot with all its glitz, glam & fun antics! Well The Lady Boys of Bangkok have also teamed up with Bad Apple Cosmetics, who are already a fav little brand of mine as I've blogged about their polishes before & created a fab nail art challenge for us bloggers to get our nail art on! I wanted to create a fun, glam & quirky design that would also fit in with the cabaret theme so I decided to do me some corset nails!

NOTD - Penguin Nails!

Hello there lovely readers!

Today I have some fun & quirky nail art in the form of one of my favourite animals...Penguins! :D I think out of all my nail art attempts so far, I'm liking this one the best. Not only because its such a cute & easy to do design but 'Pingu' (that funny odd little penguin character from our childhoods) also happens to be my nickname, bestowed upon me by one of my besties...how I got this nickname? Well apart from my petite size I've been kindly informed by my friends that when I run I bear a pretty strong resemblance to this most comical of creatures...*side eye*...hence why you will most probably never see me run in public ever again o_O

What do you think? Every time I looked down at my nails I just couldn't help but smile, definitely worked as a great mood lifter when things were getting a tad stressed at work! Here's a step by step picture tutorial to show I created my Pingu Penguin nails!

NOTD - Blueberry Pearl

Hello there lovely readers! 

Today I have one of the lovely Barry M Gelly's to share with you that have been quite a hit within the blogosphere. I've always been a huge fan of Mr M's polishes & have been loving all the new ranges that have been released of late, these ones especially.

NOTD - Minnie Mouse Inspired Disney Nails!

Hello there lovely readers!

You know how much I adore all things Disney with a childhood being brought up watching all the classics & basically wanting to be Princess Jasmine when I grew up. To me Disney is just a symbol of pure happiness & joy & gosh darn it you can be sure I'll be forcing Disney on my own children one day like there's no tomorrow! ;) Today I was inspired by Disney's very own little diva for some Minnie Mouse nails...

It didn't actually turn out QUITE how I'd hoped, as I experienced some lovely colour running & not to mention the pretty disastrous free handing but I still went with it anyhoos!

NOTD - Barry M Indigo & Maybelline Flash Cosmic!

Hello there lovely readers!

Tis been a productive one down this end with moi finally taking on the task I've been holding off for weeks...organising my polishes. It was a wee bit daunting...& I needed to lie down afterwards...but I did it! No longer am I finding polishes by the tv, under the bed, in teacups, within the kitchen cupboards (yup, that's right) but all are happily tucked away in some fab & cheap drawer storage I picked up in Asda's no less. I would of course love to own a helmer for all my polish storage needs but I just lack the space so these suit me fine, I may even do a post sometime?

Moving on I wanted to share with you lovelies one of the nail polish combos I am loving at the moment featuring an old favourite of mine plus a super fabulous funky topcoat that is simply stunning! The trusty favourite in question is my good ol' Barry M Indigo & the special little topcoat is Maybelline's Flash Cosmic.

Getting Lippy - Seventeen's Mirror Shine Lipstick in Shouty

Hello there my lovely readers!

Today I have another pretty lippie to share with you, a gem that has made it to much favored status with moi & is from the Mirror Shine range from Seventeen cosmetics. It was from within this range I actually first ventured towards when treading the lipstick waters & purchased two of what have now become staple lip products in my collection. I loved Bee Hive & Nudist Peach so much it was inevitable that another Mirror Shine lippie would fine its way into my life, this time in the form of the lovely Shouty....

NOTD - Sci Fi Alien Nails!

Hello there lovely readers!

So its that time of the month again darlings...Polish Days! When I found out what this months theme was, “To Boldly Go...” my inner sci fi geek squealed in delight as I absolutely LOVE all things Sci Fi! Star Wars is up there as one of my all time favourite films (the classics obvs, not the recent CGI filled disappointments) so I was excited to get my thinking cap on & decide which way to boldly go for my Sci-Fi manicure. 

An obvious option was of course the much loved Galaxy nails but for some reason they scare the bejesus out of me! I will attempt them one day but for today I went down another route & did me some holographic Sci Fi Alien nails instead!

The Lash Files - NYC Big Bold Mascara Review

Hello there lovely readers!

So...mascara. Who doesn't love them? A lovely little product that instantly makes those eyes stand out oh so prettily, I can understand why it is a 'holy grail' staple for many! I'll be honest & say that in the past I've often bypassed the mascara step in my everyday make up purely by the factor that I'm just so bum lazy to remove it! However I've become reacquainted with them of late & noticed what a humongous difference it does make & now wear it pretty much every day! Lately I've been having a play around with a few different ones, most recently this lovely little offering from NYC's range, the Big Bold Mascara...

NOTD - Beaded Nails featuring Barry M Nail Art Pens!

Hello there lovely readers!

For my first blog post of this month I have this beautiful mani design to share with you that was inspired by the amazing Lucy who is without a doubt my nail oracle! I absolutely love this super talented ladies blog, she has some serious skills with her beautiful designs & whenever I'm looking for some nail art inspiration, hers is often the first stop I make. So here is my attempt at her stunning Beaded Nails Design

NOTD - Fun Frog Nails feat Models Own Toxic Green!

Hello there lovely readers!

Today I have another quirky & fun manicure to share with you that was just so completely random I can't even explain it. Twas sat there twiddling my thumbs, as usual pondering on what to put on my nails & just thought hey...I'd quite like me some cute little frogs on them...as you do. So here we are...

Getting Lippy - Loreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick in Tempting Lilac

Hello there lovely readers! 

Today I have a BEAUT of a lippie to share with you, Loreal's Rouge Caresse in Tempting Lilac which has become a firm favorite of mine & was actually bought to my attention by the lovely Helen from Just Nice Things. You see I was having a debate with myself on Twitter whether to purchase the much hyped Clinique Chubby Sticks but I'd heard they can be muchos drying, not to mention the hefty pricetag! Helen recommended the Rouge Caresse range of which I'd heard fab things but the shade I wanted was constantly out of stock! But again Helen kindly came to the rescue & offered to send me the shade I wanted, what a doll!

NOTD - Vampy Rose Gold Glitter Gradient

Hello there lovely readers! 

Today I have another glitter gradient to share with you lovelies, I absolutely love them & think its a great way for adding a hit of sparkle to your mani without going the whole hog. This time I went for a vampy burgundy base with some pale rose pink & gold glitter tips & am so happy with how it came out!